Suspected Maoists fire at railway police personnel, 4 injured

Four Railway Protection Force personnel were injured, one of them seriously, when suspected Maoists fired at them at a railway station in West Bengal's Purulia district, officials said today.

Four Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were injured, one of them seriously, when suspected Maoists fired at them at a railway station in West Bengal's Purulia district, officials said today.

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State Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said the Maoists sprayed bullets when the RPF personnel were boarding the Subarnarekha Express at Barbhum railway station in Purulia, about 200 km from here.

"The RPF personnel had come to West Bengal from Jharkhand to disburse salary to their staff. The Maoists attacked them when they were returning to Jharkhand after distributing the money," Kanojia said.

Before fleeing, the rebels snatched the weapons of the RPF men.

The police have launched a search in the area, which is near the West Bengal-Jharkhand border, to nab the culprits.

"It appears they came from Jharkhand, and have retreated after the attack," Kanojia said.